Gaza teachers head to Qatar as part of new employment drive by the rich gulf emirate

Two buses with banners praising Qatar and its emir dropped off the teachers Tuesday afternoon at the Gaza side of the border crossing with Israel. From there they travel to Jordan and Qatar.

The teachers are the first class of those applying for jobs in Qatar since the oil-rich Gulf emirate launched its new Palestinian employment program. Qatar recently launched a series of initiatives in Gaza, building a hospital, repaving roads and funding construction of a large housing project that will accommodate 1,000 families.

According to the World Bank, Hamas-run Gaza has the highest unemployment rate in the world at 43 percent.